‘The Defenders’ Shocking Ending Explained

If you’ve clicked on this article, then you’re obviously looking for details about the final scene of Netflix‘s new superhero event series Marvel’s The Defenders. Any show that brings together four lead superheroes (that’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist) has to have a huge payoff, right? Does The Defenders deliver? Let’s not waste any more time and get past the spoiler wall.

***SPOILERS FOR THE DEFENDERS***

Okay, with that out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff–a.k.a. the final scene. And I don’t mean the post-credits scene, either, which you may or may not have noticed depending on which Netflix interface you’re using. I’m talking about the final scene of the final episode, the one that comes after 10 minutes of everyone being convinced that Daredevil is straight-up dead after having a skyscraper fall on him. I’m talking about the scene wherein a bruised and bandaged Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) wakes up in what is presumably a convent. A nun, noticing that Matt’s stirring after being unconscious for who knows how long, tells someone offscreen to “get Maggie.”

And that’s it.

So, did Daredevil die in Defenders?

But, come on, this is a Marvel Comics TV show. You know that’s not it. You know there’s a lot going on that’s not totally obvious–and that’s 100% the case here. In fact, this one scene is our biggest indicator to date that Daredevil Season Three is gonna be brutal. Let me explain.

They’re almost identical. The chest bandages, the crucifix above Matt’s bed, the nun sitting next to him, even the placement of two windows and a nightstand! This isn’t a coincidence; this is a direct homage to a page from one of the greatest Daredevil stories ever published.

And then there’s the name, “Maggie.” Maggie is, brace yourself, Matt Murdock’s mother. Yes, Matt Murdock’s mom is a nun named Maggie. We saw in Marvel’s Daredevil Season One that Daredevil’s dad was a boxer and he raised Matt as a single parent before being killed by the mob. That was also Daredevil’s origin in the comics, until Miller and Mazzucchelli introduced Maggie and hinted that she was, in fact, Matt’s mother. This was left open to interpretation for decades, and Maggie’s relationship to Matt was only recently clarified in 2014’s Daredevil #7 (an issue that I highly recommend to even casual DD fans).

There’s even more going on here, though, and it spells big trouble for Matt in Daredevil Season Three. The storyline that this image comes from, that Sister Maggie debuted in, it’s a story called “Born Again.” In it, the Kingpin finally discovers Daredevil’s true identity–and then he unleashes holy hell on the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. When last we saw the Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) in Daredevil Season Two, he was spending his time behind bars trying to figure out the connection between Daredevil and Matt Murdock.

David Giesbrecht/Netflix

On top of that, the Kingpin’s major weapon against Daredevil in the comic storyline was a nutjob Vietnam vet named Nuke. That character was adapted into Will Simpson, the police officer turned ‘roided out maniac that terrorized Jessica Jones in her Netflix series. Simpson made it out of Jessica Jones alive and in enemy hands, so a return appearance isn’t out of the question.

Of course, superhero adaptations always take liberties, and no Netflix series has done a by-the-book adaptation of the source material. But, there are now three plot points indicating that “Born Again” will influence Daredevil Season Three, at least partially. And if that means D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk is about to find out Daredevil’s secret identity? Then, oh man, maybe Matt should keep playing dead and stay hidden in that convent with his mom.